The Tale Of The Three
by DarkHououmon
Summary: A young woman named Darcy, through misfortune, ends up on the shores of Dinotopia. Trapped in a strange world with creatures beyond her imagination, she's forced to seek comfort in Elijah, a dinosaur-hating zealot.
1. Crashland

Darcy tripped against the floor of the ship and found herself stumbling forward. The ship had been struck with another powerful wave of water. As Darcy made her way down the corridor, she could hear the thunder crack outside of the boat and she could imagine the flash of lightning as the rain continued to pour mercilessly on the ship. And mixed in with the sounds of the storm, she could hear the cries of men as they either scrambled to get out of the storm or keep the ship from being capsized at sea.

Darcy tried to keep her footing by pressing her hands against the wall in a desperate attempt to retain some kind of traction. Water had flowed into this part of the boat. The floor was soaked and slippery. It was very difficult to move quickly without tumbling down. The waves that still slammed against the boat did not make things any easier for her to keep her balance.

As she struggled to get to the deck of the ship, many thoughts ran through her mind, too fast for her to comprehend individually. Thoughts of her father came to her mind and she bit her lip and tried to hide her tears. She missed him dearly and she had regretted getting on the ship in the first place. But amidst the chaos of the storm, her thoughts were so focused on getting to safety that she could not even remember why she got on.

But that didn't matter right now. Although a gut feeling told her that she should remain hidden, she had to get to the deck. It might have been suicide in being out in the open during a storm, but she would not do so well back in that corridor either. Water was everywhere and, although she couldn't be sure, it may have been flooding as well.

Darcy reached the deck of the ship and was immediately greeted by a flash of lightning so loud that she covered her eyes and stumbled backwards. She blinked a few times and took a look at her surroundings. The men hadn't noticed her yet, and there were few, far fewer than Darcy remembered when she first got on. They were rushing across the ship, struggling to keep the sails from ripping from their anchor.

Darcy made her way towards the edge of the ship to get a better look at the water. It was completely restless. Waves rolled across the water. The water itself continued move up and down, causing the ship to constantly sway. The clouds were dark, a near black coloring. She looked towards the side of the boat and could see that even small waves were constantly striking the boat, as though the boat had done something to anger the sea.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Over there! A woman!"

Then another. "By the.. it is!"

Darcy turned around to see that some of the men had noticed she was aboard. They were looking at her in a weird way, their eyes widened in fear. She had been told the tales by her father. Women weren't allowed on ships. They were considered to be bad luck.

One of the men got a furious look on his face. "She's the reason why we're caught in this storm! Who's the idiot who brought her along?"

"It doesn't matter now! What are we going to do?" Asked the man who had stopped Darcy in the first place.

"There's only one thing to do..." The angry man said before he began to advance on the woman.

Darcy's eyes widened and she pressed herself against the edge of the ship and gripped the sides with her hands. She had no where to go and she could feel her heart starting to race. She looked behind her in hopes of finding a lifeboat. To her luck, there was one still tied to the ship. The others were missing. But she didn't care why. This was her chance out of here.

"She's going to try to escape!" Yelled one of the men. "Stop her!"

The man closest to her immediately sized her arm and yanked her from the side of the ship. Darcy tried to fight with him, pounding his arm with her free fist. The man chuckled. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Let me go!" That was all Darcy had to say as she continued to try to get herself free.

Another man immediately came forward and grabbed her other arm and helped his comrade force the woman to walk with them. Despite being easily overpowered, Darcy still tried to fight back. She didn't even bother to see where they were taking her. All she wanted was to be free.

"She won't stop fighting...!" Said one of the men trying to restrain Darcy.

"She's a wild one, I'll give her that." The other one responded and tightened his grip on the girl's arm.

Darcy glared up at one of the men holding her. "You better let me go, or I'll..."

"You'll do nothing!" The man who had grabbed her first glared back. "You already did enough by bringing this blasted storm to us! But don't you worry, we know of a way to stop it..."

Darcy didn't know what they had in mind, but the way the man said that gave her a sickening feeling. By this time, she had stopped struggling. She had exhausted much of her strength trying to fight off these men and it was all in vain. She walked obediently with the men, which pleased them.

Just then, a wall of water struck the ship, more violently than the others had. The ship rocked violently to one side and water splashed onto the deck of the ship, sweeping away most of the men. The water struck the men holding Darcy, knocking all three to the floor and pushing them violently towards the side of the ship. The man had released their grip on Darcy as they scrambled to save their own lives. Yet another wave struck and the men found themselves being swept overboard and into the angry seas below.

Darcy screamed as she held onto the side of the boat, desperately trying not to fall overboard herself. She managed to catch a glimpse of the lifeboat below her. She swallowed once and jumped onto the boat just as another wave hit. She quickly pulled out a knife she was keeping for protection and sliced the ropes holding the lifeboat to the ship. The lifeboat fell against the water and Darcy immediately pressed her body against the bottom of the lifeboat, hoping she wouldn't be tossed out.

She dared to sit up long enough to see the ship she was just on being pushed onto its side and letting water flood into the compartments of the ship. As the ship started to sink, Darcy's attention turned to the waves that continued to roll across the unsteady waters. She found herself being pushed into the air by the constantly moving waters and a feeling of nausea struck her as she realized that her only chance at getting back home was sinking beneath the water.

Before she had time to react, another wave struck, this one smaller but still packing a lot of force. She was knocked backwards and she slammed her head against the floor of the lifeboat. Her vision began to blur and the last thing she saw before she went unconscious was a small ray of light pushing its way through the dark clouds.


	2. Enter The Zealot

Darcy awoke with a powerful headache. She kept her eyes closed as she strained to sit up. She gingerly touched the spot where she was feeling the pain and pulled her hand back immediately. She wondered what had happened. She had vague memories of being on a ship and then a storm, but it was all blank after that.

She felt something cold and soft in her hands. Although her eyes were closed, it didn't take a genius to know she was laying on soft dirt covered in short grasses. She managed to sit up all the way and opened her eyes. Her vision was a blur, but she could make out the green grass that covered the ground. And then she saw dark blue and recognized it as the ocean that she must have been swept away in. She let out a moan as she gripped at the grass tightly, trying to remember how she ended up here to begin with.

The air around her was calm, although mildly windy once in a while. She could still smell the ocean air, but it was intermingled by the smell of the trees that were all around her. She was vaguely aware of the sound of water running, possibly a river. The sounds of birds chirping filled her mind. Darcy had never seen these kinds of foliage before. The plants and the trees seemed so foreign to her. And yet, despite the strangeness of the immediate area, she could sense that there was also a calmness of this place, something she hadn't felt in years.

And it frightened her.

Then her hand grazed something soft and almost furry. Her eyes widened at the sudden touch. She glanced over at what she had touched. And what she saw nearly made her scream.

It was a small creature, none of which the likes she had seen before. It stood on two legs and was covered in feathers, which reminded her of a bird. But the thing's eyes were wide and red-colored and its mouth was open, showing rows of sharp teeth. And it wasn't alone. All around it, other animals of the same species were approaching the area, making sounds that almost resemble a bird's chirp.

Darcy scrambled to get up to her feet, trying to get away from the strange beasts. She tripped and fell into the ground. The creatures approached her, chirping several times. When one of them got too close, Darcy defended herself by slamming her foot into the creature's body and knocked it into the ground.

"Get away from me, you horrid beasts!" Darcy yelled at them, as if they understood her words.

The creatures still standing tilted their heads in curiosity. The one that Darcy just kicked was back on its feet. It lifted up its arms, which both ended in a single claw, almost like a vicious hook, and let out a louder call. The other creatures immediately raised their claws and Darcy feared the worse and let out a scream.

Just then, there was the sound of heavy footsteps headed her way. Darcy didn't have time to look back. Whoever had heard her scream had arrived onto the scene. It was a man she had never met before. He held what looked to be an old sword. He ran past Darcy and waved the sword at the creatures that were approaching her.

"Back! Get back, you bloody monsters!" The man shouted, keeping the sharp tip of the blade pointed against the creatures.

The animals took a few steps back, but they didn't run off. They chirped again, almost like they were confused. The man waved the sword close to them, nearly striking one in the process. But the creatures still came. It was like they had no fear of man or didn't understand what the man was trying to do.

"I said back!" The man struck forward with the sword. The blade narrowly missed one of the creatures and struck into the ground, centimeters away from another animal's foot.

The creatures seemed to get the message. Screeching loudly, they immediately turned and ran off.

Darcy stared in astonishment as the strange creatures took off, disappearing into the thick foliage. She slowly picked herself up off the ground and turned her head towards the man who came to her rescue. Although the man still had a glare facing towards where the creatures had taken off, she still felt compelled to approach him. What skill and courage this man must have to face such a terrible threat and drive it away...

The man lowered his arm so that the sword rested harmlessly at his side. He turned his head over and saw Darcy approaching him. "Are you all right?" He asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes...I am." Darcy said. "Thank you..."

The man put away his sword, sliding it into a sheath he had strapped around his waist. "May I ask what a fair young lass like yourself is doing out here, all alone?"

Darcy shifted her posture uneasily at the question. She bit her lip, not wanting to think about the events that lead to her getting on that doomed ship. "..I just got here..."

The man's expression changed to that of surprise. "You mean you shipwrecked here?" A nod from the girl answered his question. "Oh I'm so sorry that happened to you." In an attempt to comfort the young girl, the man asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Darcy shrugged her shoulders. "I...I don't know, sir."

There was a moment of silence. Darcy still remained surprised by this man's sudden appearance. But how he was able to arrive so quickly didn't matter anymore. He had managed to save her and she was grateful for that.

"My name is Elijah." The man said, placing a hand on his chest to indicate himself. He then motioned towards the girl. "And who might you be...?"

Darcy hesitated slightly before she gave her answer. "It's...Darcy."

"Darcy, is it?" Elijah smiled softly. Darcy nodded her head. "Such a nice name for a girl like yourself..." Elijah said to himself.

"So what were you doing out here, anyway? Did I...interrupt anything?"

Elijah chuckled lightheartedly. "Why no, you haven't. I was just on my way to Black Fish Tavern when I heard your screams."

"Black Fish Tavern? You mean...there are people here?"

"Well yes..." Elijah suddenly scowled softly. "If you can call most of the people on this forsaken island _'people'_..." Elijah quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry about that... I..haven't quite gotten used to this place. I'm not from around here, either."

The girl was confused by Elijah's sudden change in voice in his statement. What did he mean by what he had said? From the way he was talking, it was almost as if he was implying that the people of this island were all...abnormal. And that couldn't be right...could it?

So this island was inhabited... That was a relief to Darcy. She was worried that she was stuck on some uninhabited island with no chance of getting off. Seeing this man did calm her fears of being alone, but until he had confirmed that there were, in fact, other people on the island, she was worried he was the only person. As soon as she got the chance, she could ask someone on the island where the docks were. Surely these people had a mode of transportation if someone like Elijah could get to the island...

Elijah didn't dwell on the subject too long. "Anyway, I should be on my way. I want to get to Black Fish Tavern before nightfall."

Darcy looked up at the sky. The sun was still high overhead. "It is going to take you that long to reach it?"

"I...don't really know. It just depends on how many more creatures we would run into..." Elijah said.

Darcy took a step back. "We? Creatures?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I should have asked you first." He said apologetically. "Would you like to come with me to Black Fish Tavern? It's...probably not a place for you, but it's safer than out here with those monsters."

Darcy felt a little relieved that Elijah had basically offered to take her to a safer area, but the thought of there being other strange beasts on this island, like the ones she had already encountered, was unsettling to her. She began to wonder how the locals dealt with such things.

"You're saying there's more of..those things..?" Darcy asked.

Elijah frowned and nodded his head. "I'm afraid so. And those were just weaklings I fought off. There's some monsters here that could swallow you alive if they wished."

Darcy gulped and rubbed her throat as she imagined seeing such an enormous creature barreling towards her. "And..what were those things?"

"The people here call them dinosaurs. I call them dragons. There's no difference."

"Dragons..." Darcy repeated under her breath. She had thought they were only a myth, created for fantasy stories. She felt unsettled at the thought of dragons being a reality. What a nightmarish thought that was...

She decided not to dwell on this subject anymore. She took a look around the area again. "So, where are we, exactly? You seem to know your way around here... So where am I?"

"The name of the island or the name of the forest we are currently in?"

"Both..I suppose."

"Well, the island's name, as the locals call it, is Dinotopia." Elijah said, his voice slightly tinged by anger as he said the name 'Dinotopia'. "And the forest we are in is Blackwood Flats."

Darcy nodded her head as she took in this new information. Dinotopia...that sounded like a variant of that other strange name the man had given her: dinosaur. If the island was as infested with these monsters as Elijah had hinted, then the inhabitants of this island chose the name well. "And how are you going to get to Black Fish Tavern?"

Elijah pointed to the sandbank where the waves from the sea splashed. "I just follow that bank to Jubila River, then cross that river, and then I continue to follow the shoreline. Black Fish Tavern isn't far from there. It isn't too hard to find. The only other place there is Spiker."

Darcy nodded her head again. "Sounds easy enough to remember."

"So...do you want to come with me?" Elijah asked.

Darcy said, "No..not now. I...want to get something to eat first." She heard her stomach growl. She remembered the bird calls from earlier. "I'll probably go hunting. My father taught me how."

Elijah nodded his head. "Well, my advice for you is to stick to the river over there." He pointed to the river that Darcy hadn't noticed until now. "It might be easier for you to find something that way. Oh and another thing..."

"What is it?" Darcy asked.

"...don't let yourself be seen when you hunt."

"What...?" Darcy was confused. "Why not?"

"Just...don't let yourself be seen..okay?" Elijah said again. "Anyway, I must get going. I wish you the best of luck."


	3. Meet Richard

Roughly an hour had passed and Elijah found himself on the trail he usually took to reach Black Fish Tavern. The air around him was a little warm, but he was constantly cooled as a soft breeze caressed the forest. A mild, sweet scent hung in the air, its source everywhere: several small flowers that decorated the forest. The forest was filled with the sound of chirping from the gulls that frequently visited the island.

Elijah was almost tempted to call the island paradise. But no, this island was no paradise. It was a prison, one that was filled with those horrid dragons, populating the land, sea, and sky. Most of the island's inhabitants were hypnotized or corrupted, tricked into believing these dragons. Every time he even just thought about how most of the island's inhabitants interacted so peacefully with the dragons, he seethed in anger.

And now he was faced with the prospect that another innocent would fall under the beasts' evil spell. He thought back to Darcy. If there was anyone who could protect her from submitting to the dragons, keep her from becoming 'impure', it was him.

He wondered how she came upon the island. He had been on his way to Black Fish Tavern when he had heard someone scream. He rushed to the scene as quickly as he could. When he came upon the scene, he realized he had come just in time. The young girl was surrounded by several small, fuzzy dragons. The girl looked absolutely frightened, and the dragons were getting too close to her.

Getting the monsters away was quite easy. Small dragons were usually cowardly. A mere kick would have sent them running away. He didn't even need to use the sword on them. But all dragons were alike, regardless of size. In his eyes, none of the creatures deserved any kind of mercy.

He was disappointed that Darcy turned down his offer to come with him. Although Darcy was old enough to be on her own, he still felt that she should have at least tagged along with him so she could be protected. Darcy wasn't very old. He estimated that she probably wasn't even thirty years old yet. Part of him wanted to go back and find her, but another part of him was confident that Darcy would change her mind and come find him at Black Fish Tavern on her own, provided that she remember the directions he had given her.

Suddenly, the sound of a windmill churning in the air caught his attention. The distant sound of hay being tossed onto soft grass could be heard. The chatter of people talking and the very distinct dinosaur sounds intermingled with one another in the air. Elijah felt his eyes narrowing. Even though he was still a good distance away, he knew what those sounds meant: he was close to one of the dreaded hatcheries that laced across the island like a plague.

Normally, the path he would take would keep him far away from this particular place, but he had deliberately changed course to stay closer to the river, and Darcy, even though he knew this path would take him close to a hatchery. If he was lucky, no one at the hatchery would notice him passing through nearby.

A few minutes later and the sounds became more recognizable. The tones of the human voices sounded worried and concerned. At the same time, he could hear the sounds of dragons, two very distinct varieties. One sound was high-pitched, resembling the chirps of birds and the other was low and more guttural. He had been on the island long enough to begin to recognize approximately what kind of dragon was nearby just by the sound. He recognized the first sounds as belonging to the same species as the creatures he had fended off earlier and the other he recognized as one of the frilled monsters.

Elijah quickened his pace. The faster he was away from this wretched place, the better. His hand trembled and he was tempted to bring out his sword. But he had to control himself. The island inhabitants were often protective of these dragons. One slip up and the dragons could send a horde of their human followers, along with other dragons, to get him.

Just then, he heard the sound of grass rustling behind him. He stopped walking and let out a soft sigh. He looked around and saw a young boy standing there. He looked to be not much older than Darcy herself. A scowl was on his face. Elijah couldn't help but roll his eyes. The boy hadn't even said a word and he already knew what was on the kid's mind.

"What do you want?" Elijah asked.

It was clear the boy was very angry and was trying to control himself. "How could you do such a terrible thing?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" The boy snapped, pointing a finger at Elijah. "You know very well what you just did! You attacked a couple of innocents!"

Elijah asked, "And just how might these innocents be?"

"Those poor dinosaurs, of course!"

Elijah scratched his chin. He then spoke in a somewhat mocking voice. "Well that's strange.. I thought you said that I attacked innocents, not a couple of beasts."

"Beasts?" The boy exclaimed. "They're people, just like you and me!"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I fail to see how they are like you and me. They are dragons, little boy. And all dragons are alike. They're deceiving you, just like they deceive everyone."

Elijah tried to hide a smile as he watched the boy seethe in anger. He could see the boy starting to shake and he knew what was going on in the boy's mind. Under normal circumstances, he would have expected the boy to snap at him. But things were different on Dinotopia. Such behavior was greatly frowned upon, and Elijah knew the boy knew this as well.

"That's..that's not true!" The boy argued through clenched teeth.

"Am I?" Elijah folded his arms. "What was it that convinced you Dinotopians to become vegetarians? What was responsible for changing the way you viewed time?" As he spoke, his voice became etched in anger. "And what tried to abolish our right to hold weapons? The dragons!"

The boy growled. "They taught us that way of life to help better ourselves! They didn't deceive us!"

"They still influenced you people to change the way you lived, didn't they?" Elijah questioned him. When the boy wasn't able to make a response, Elijah said, "That proves my point. The dragons have influenced you. They have brainwashed you. Nothing sickens me more than someone like you defending a race of such despicable scaly abominations."

"You..." The boy clenched a fist, his temper near its peak. Without thinking, he pulled his arm back as if he was about to punch. "I...!"

Elijah smirked. "Turning back on your ways so quickly, Dinotopian?" He said in a mocking voice. "I thought it was against your way of life to try to strike back at the person who angered you. Are you turning against your precious dragons, kid?"

The kid growled again, his arm still raised in the air. Elijah watched him, waiting for him to make his move. He even gestured for the boy to approach him if he dared. But the young man remained where he stood, afraid of breaking the customs he had been taught all his life. Eventually, he left out a soft sigh and lowered his arm. He glared at Elijah a couple more seconds before he turned his back on him and started to walk back towards the hatchery.

"Yeah, that's right. Walk away like the coward you are!" Elijah called after him. "Your kind makes me sick! Go on! Go grovel at the feet of your dinosaur enslavers!"

The boy paused momentarily as if he was contemplating fighting back. But he breathed in deeply, as if he was trying to calm his nerves, and pressed on.

"Coward! Weakling! Wimp! Yellow Belly!" Elijah called after the boy with a smirk on his face. Just as he predicted, the boy didn't stop and instead disappeared from sight. Elijah chuckled and shook his head. That was too easy.

Then his thoughts went back to Darcy. After running into this young man, he felt he should delay his trip to Black Fish Tavern and find her. The tavern wasn't going anywhere. He could spare some time to find Darcy before she had to contend with a Dinotopian. The girl had been through enough recently. The last thing she needed was a Dinotopian trying to corrupt her into accepting their ways.

He eventually made up his mind. He decided to continue his journey to Black Fish Tavern. Darcy would be able to catch up to him if she decided to go there. And if she were to run into that young Dinotopian he had just dealt with, he was certain enough that she would be able to resist his dastardly ways and get away as soon as she could.

Yes, they would meet again soon. He felt sure of that.


End file.
